ISAF World Match Race Rankings

Rankings Released 22 August 2007

World Championship victory was finally claimed by world # 1 women's match racer Claire LEROY (FRA) and there is no surprise that she stays firmly at the top of the rankings. Ian WILLIAMS (GBR) is also holding firm and three more podium positions at ISAF Grade WC regattas sees him extend his lead yet further.

How The Rankings Work

The ISAF World Match Race Rankings rate skippers based on their performances over the last two years. Skippers score points by competing in ISAF Graded events. Each skipper can count a maximum of four events in each of the two most recent years, which are calculated over a rolling 24 months. The most points are up for grabs at World Championship events, followed by ISAF Grade 1 events, Grade 2 etc. For more on how the Rankings work CLICK HERE.

The tables on the right hand side show the new ISAF Grade WC and ISAF Grade 1-3 events included in this Ranking release.

The next Rankings release will be on 26 September 2007 following on from the ISAF Grade WC ACI Match Race Cup. This will be the sixth release of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings in 2007.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - Open

There is no stopping Ian WILLIAMS (GBR) at the moment and he extends his lead at the world #1 spot after clinching another World Tour Event title and taking podium positions at two others. The ISAF Grade WC St Moritz Match Race in Switzerland went down to the final race and WILLIAMS overhauled defending champion Mark MENDELBLATT (USA) to win by just metres. WILLIAMS also picks up points from the other ISAF Grade WC events - third in Denmark and second in Portugal.

With two other World Tour events counting in this ranking release there is no surprise that there are some big movements. There were Danish celebrations at the Danish Open as Jesper RADICH (DEN) claimed the title from Peter WIBROE (DEN) after an amazing display of match racing in front of an enthusiastic crown in Copenhagen. The victory for RADICH sees him climb 18 places back up the rankings to # 15.

Paolo GILMOUR defeats world # 1 Ian WILLIAMS in Portugal © Joao Ferrand/JFF

Just one place below RADICH at 16 is the winner of the other ISAF Grade WC event counting points in this release, the Portugal Match Cup. Multiple world champion Peter GILMOUR (AUS) blew away rankings leader Ian WILLIAMS to clinch the title at an event littered with America's Cup teams fresh from Valencia. GILMOUR's points see him climb 24 places up to # 16.

Victory at the ISAF Grade 1 Internationaux de France de Match Racing 2007, beating, Areva Challenge helmsman Sebastien COL (FRA), gives a welcome boost to Aussie youngster Torvar MIRSKY from # 26 to make his debut inside the top 20 at # 17.

Outside the top 20, there is a big climb for Gavin BRADY who picked up third place in Portugal and climbs 30 places up to # 35. With an overal scoreline of 12 wins and 4 losses, BRADY saw off fellow AC skipper Sebastien COL in the petit-final.

Behind WILLIAMS at # 1, the top five remain the same with Mathieu RICHARD (FRA) at # 2, Paolo CIAN (ITA) at # 3, Sebastien COL (FRA) at #4 and Bjorn HANSEN (SWE) completing the set at # 5.

There are over 30 new entries to the rankings and the highest is Ingo KOHN (GER) who won the ISAF Grade 4 Ribnitz Match Race and finished second at the ISAF Grade 3 Hanse Sail Match Race and enters the rankings at # 317.

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - Open

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - Women

Action from Sweden © Dan Ljungsvik

Claire LEROY’s (FRA) has finally clinched the elusive ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship title and further cements her posiiton at the top of the ISAF Women's Match Racing World rankings. LEROY has now held the #1 position for 27 months and victory in France for the 27 year old and her team helps her extend her lead over world # 2 Lotte MELDGAARD PEDERSEN (DEN) who picked up the bronze medal in France.

LEROY also picked up the gold medal at the ISAF Grade 2 European Championship with the bronze again going to MELDGAARD PEDERSEN - this time they were separated by Lucy MACGREGOR (GBR) who subsequently climbs 32 places up to # 41. The European Championship also brings a well known name as a new entry to the match racing circuit in the form of eighth placed Natalia VIA DUFRESNE (ESP) who is more well known out on the Olympic circuit competing in a 470 but enters at # 111.

The silver medallist in France was Australia's Katie SPITHILL who sailed a cracking Championship and uses the points to climb eight places up the rankings to # 3, her highest ever position. One of two British challengers at the Worlds, Josie GIBSON claimed fourth place after being seen off 2-0 by Klaartje ZUIDERBAAN (NED) in the petit-final. GIBSON climbs five places up to a life time best of # 7 whilst ZUIDERBAAN remains at # 4. Seventh place for Silke HAHLBROCK (GER) sees her slip down the rankings from # 3 to # 5.

The only ISAF Grade 1 event to count points for the women's circuit was the Preem Lysekil Women's Match which took place in Sweden at the beginning of August. On her third attempt to win this event, Linda RAHM and her Team Stena Bulk from Sweden took the title, defeating 2004 champion Marie BJÖRLING (SWE) 3-1 in the final. Both skippers climb four places from the points they gain, RAHM up to # 21 and BJÖRLING up to # 15. This was a high class event, with many of the skippers using it as a worlds' warm-up

ISAF World Match Race Rankings - Women

The next Rankings release will be on 26 September 2007 following on from the ISAF Grade WC ACI Match Race Cup.

To take a look at the all of Rankings' releases of the past twelve months CLICK HERE.